window tinting laws?

[Sgt Apone]

ok ive read different things on this tinting now and im a bit confused. My front window, drivers side and passenger side, can i tint them? if so im i correct in thinking that the tint has to allow 70% light into the car? if so how the hell do i know the tint im getting does? lol please help. the tint ive put in the back is just called WT1 light smoke as i only want it to cut done glare on rear tvs and heat in car. 

[calGT]

yeah 100% light has to be shown now £10,000 fine if you tint your windows.....or you could have you car crushed

[Sgt Apone]

ouch that sucks, and ive seen cars round my way with all windows tinted. oh well just the back then.

[Ben Lessani]

yeah, as of a few years ago the passenger and drivers windows must let in 100% although a lot of cars still have theirs mildly tinted at the front for a bit of balance. i got pulled by the plod for my front windows (fortunately for me, they didn't know the law), and said they had to be a max of 35% and that they'd fine me if i didn't remove them in a week.

so i striped them out and the car looks stupid, so i'll probably put some lighter ones back in the front

[Shorey]

I always thought you could have 80% tint on the rear window
40% On the back seat windows
and 20% on the driver/passengers and front window
....guessing im wrong though

[Agreeable Slick]

no tint on the windscreen, front drivers, or front passengers.

Whatever you like on the rest.

[Shorey]

thats crazy...sooooo many people have tints on all windows
police musn't be too fussed about it, never heard anyone mention bein fined etc

[Sgt Apone]

yer its like i said people round here have their front door windows tinted.  1 car i seen had pure black tint on everything apart from windscreen obviously.  I thinking of putting "very light smoke" on my 2 front door windows and if a copper does have something to say, well yer lol. im not too sharp when it comes to most stuff anywho.

[Whitey5678]

as you probably know most modern cars come with tinted windows as a factory standard.
these will pass no less than 75% of available light (that includes the windscreen).
By law both the windscreen and front windows including quaterlights must pass at least 75% of light through them. Tthere is, however, no restriction on rear windows or back window. (hence limos running the way they do).
Most modern cars have tinted windows as standard so any modification to the fronts WILL make you illegal. (in fact some factory cars fail the test by a few percent due to manufacturing tolerances.)

each Police service has different guideline but in devon and cornwall you'll get a thirty quid ticket if you've not taken the mick but if your running with less than 30% light transmission through your fronts expect your car to be prohibited and you to be walking unless you remove them there and then.

and before you ask they do have the kit to check this on the roadside. ( I know!!)

[Ben Lessani]

what an odd dig, wrong though...

Amendments to Legislation During the early part of 2004, Section 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations will be amended to include “Window Tint Films”, where such materials attached to the glass are capable of reducing the Visible Light Transmission of forward windows to below prescribed levels. These changes will be back-dated to become applicable from 1st January 2004.

This will effectively ban virtually all tinted films fitted to windows forward of the B-Post on any vehicle that is to be driven on UK roads.

The reason for these changes is the recent proliferation of vehicles that are excessively tinted. Some vehicles may be so heavily tinted that they present a real danger when used on public roads. The action being taken by the Government follows a fatality that occurred recently where a heavily tinted car was involved in a collision with a motorcycle and the window tints were held to blame due to the vision of the driver being impaired.

There is however, a recognised difference between “light window tints” which may be considered safe for road use and “excessively dark window tints” which are not.

There has also been a great deal of debate in recent years about the legitimacy of window tints that do not obscure the vision of the driver. A clear case has been argued that road-safe window tints do not actually conflict with existing regulations. The Department for Transport have argued however that Section 32 was always intended to cover materials attached to the glass, despite the fact that no mention of this is made in the Regulation itself.

there is no official value for the fronts - but it is generally regarded within the law that anything applied to the glass risks it being illegal